The Saga Continues: Water Meter installled backwards ?
Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2022 11:21 pm
by Tonray's Ghost
So here is an interestng one. Last month the meter reader rang the doorbell and asked me if I had been away or not used any water all month as the meter was not showing any change from previous month. After explaining all should be about the same as far as usage, he determined the meter was dead and scheduled a replacement. So last week, I came home from a day out in Bangkok and noticed a new meter had been installed. So far so good. I of course being a curious sort wanted to check to see of the new meter was working correctly and watching the meter readings (0000-20) I ran the garden hose for a long while and then checked again. Now the meter showed (0000-16) ! Hmmm....something is amiss. Fast forward a week later and the meter has turned over to (9999-0n)....so when the next reading comes I guess it will show I have used more than 10,000 units
This seems very odd....I'm guessing they are using cheap Chinese meters without any control as to direction of flow and the guy installled it backwards ? Anyone with water meter experience can comment ?
Re: Water Meter installled backwards ?
Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2022 1:46 pm
by honyock
I assume it is simply an impeller that spins as the water flows past in which case the instructions should state the in and out or there would be arrows cast/molded onto the meter. I'm guessing whomever installed did not read the instructions as they likely ate the same inlet and outlet diameter so it is not poke yoke'd.
I would suggest you contact your water provider to ask them to verify the direction of flow.
Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk
Re: Water Meter installled backwards ?
Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2022 3:15 pm
by BatUtilityBelt
Since @honyock already gave you good advice...
I suggest you ask them how much water the meter says they're using, and charge them accordingly.
Re: Water Meter installled backwards ?
Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2022 4:06 pm
by mickey
Perhaps you are now providing water to the system????????????????????????????????
Re: Water Meter installled backwards ?
Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2022 4:07 pm
by redman
@Tonray's Ghost I spent my life repairing stuff for people and one thing I found common with all repair companies from utilities to mechanics to everything else repairmen are great, either great knowledgeable workmen, or great procrastinator's or great DUMBA$$E$ and it sounds like you may have had the latter.
Sorry about your water woes but I couldn't resist my feeble atempt at comedy.
Re: Water Meter installled backwards ?
Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2022 3:24 pm
by nomadh
mickey wrote: ↑Tue Jul 19, 2022 4:06 pm
Perhaps you are now providing water to the system????????????????????????????????
Yea, like solar. What will you be charging them.
Re: Water Meter installled backwards ?
Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2022 6:28 am
by Tonray's Ghost
So here's the update: meter reader came and verified that meter is indeed running backwards. He called a fellow meter reader to take a look and they both had a good laugh at the idiot installer. 2 days later a very grumpy looking guy making excessive banging wrench noises, reversed the meter and sped off on his motorcycle...too funny.
Re: Water Meter installled backwards ?
Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2022 7:33 am
by toomanycats
Tonray's Ghost wrote: ↑Mon Jul 18, 2022 11:21 pm I came home from a day out in Bangkok
I've just gotta ask, does a "day out in Bangkok" offer all the promise of picaresque thrills as "one night in Bangkok"?
Does it make the hard man humble?
Does it make the tough guys tumble?
Do you feel the Devil waking next to you?
Are the kicks above the waistline sunshine . . . or are they in the bars, the temples, the massage parlors?
Or is all that just advertising hype for the tourists?
Re: Water Meter installled backwards ?
Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2022 7:46 am
by Tonray's Ghost
My day out in BKK is quite different. Lunch at my favourite food court, a walk around the neighborhood weather permitting, gawk at some guitars from the window (please sir can I have some more?), grab some sweet street food snacks and wash them down with an iced tea latte, oh yeah and a fair amount of girl watching which is one of Bangkok's most treasured activities. Come on down, take a break from the NC soap series, you might even decide to stay.
Re: Water Meter installled backwards ?
Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2022 7:58 am
by toomanycats
Tonray's Ghost wrote: ↑Wed Aug 03, 2022 7:46 am
My day out in BKK is quite different. Lunch at my favourite food court, a walk around the neighborhood weather permitting, gawk at some guitars from the window (please sir can I have some more?), grab some sweet street food snacks and wash them down with an iced tea latte, oh yeah and a fair amount of girl watching which is one of Bangkok's most treasured activities. Come on down, take a break from the NC soap series, you might even decide to stay.
I suspected as much. It's just a place one lives, as is any famous city of the world which has notoriety in the public consciousness, but for those who truly live their it's just "home." The real Bangkok as you describe it sounds like a wonderful place. I have imagined escaping the West and living in a completely foreign culture, a place like Bangkok, or even Japan. Maybe one day, but for right now these cats have me pretty well tied down.
Tonray's Ghost wrote: ↑Wed Aug 03, 2022 7:46 am
My day out in BKK is quite different. Lunch at my favourite food court, a walk around the neighborhood weather permitting, gawk at some guitars from the window (please sir can I have some more?), grab some sweet street food snacks and wash them down with an iced tea latte, oh yeah and a fair amount of girl watching which is one of Bangkok's most treasured activities. Come on down, take a break from the NC soap series, you might even decide to stay.
I suspected as much. It's just a place one lives, as is any famous city of the world which has notoriety in the public consciousness, but for those who truly live their it's just "home." The real Bangkok as you describe it sounds like a wonderful place. I have imagined escaping the West and living in a completely foreign culture, a place like Bangkok, or even Japan. Maybe one day, but for right now these cats have me pretty well tied down.
Yeah that sums it up..but if you do decide you need a getaway, I'll show you the real Bangkok and not the tourism brochure version.
Re: Water Meter installled backwards ?
Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2022 11:22 pm
by tlarson58
In which direction do your toilets flush?
Re: Water Meter installled backwards ?
Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2022 11:06 pm
by ronnx
Tonray's Ghost wrote: ↑Mon Jul 18, 2022 11:21 pm
So here is an interestng one. Last month the meter reader rang the doorbell and asked me if I had been away or not used any water all month as the meter was not showing any change from previous month. After explaining all should be about the same as far as usage, he determined the meter was dead and scheduled a replacement. So last week, I came home from a day out in Bangkok and noticed a new meter had been installed. So far so good. I of course being a curious sort wanted to check to see of the new meter was working correctly and watching the meter readings (0000-20) I ran the garden hose for a long while and then checked again. Now the meter showed (0000-16) ! Hmmm....something is amiss. Fast forward a week later and the meter has turned over to (9999-0n)....so when the next reading comes I guess it will show I have used more than 10,000 units
This seems very odd....I'm guessing they are using cheap Chinese meters without any control as to direction of flow and the guy installed it backwards ? Anyone with water meter experience can comment ?
This reminds me of an encounter I had back in the 70s. I was called upon by an apartment manager of a 30 unit building to check out their pool. He told me that they could not get the pool clean no matter how much they ran the filter apparatus, the water would not come clean. After arranging an appointment with the manager and the pool company owner with both of them present I inspected the plumbing for the pool and filtration system. After tracing the lines out I found that the pluming was backwards although it looked perfectly correct. In essence the dirty water was going into the pool and the clean water was going down the drain. After re-plumbing it, (and I might add when I got done it reminded me of something Rube Goldberg would come up with) it worked perfectly.
Re: Water Meter installled backwards ?
Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2022 3:44 am
by Tonray's Ghost
@toomanycats
My crazy day in Bangkok...
Re: Water Meter installled backwards ?
Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2022 6:36 am
by Tonray's Ghost
AHH..the saga of the backwards water meter continues !
So when the water meter first stopped working the meter reader left no bill (usually print bill on the spot with a QR code which then I pay). The 2nd month he left no bill due to the meter being installed backwards. So today in the mail get a bill for 2 months in arrears which states that if I don't pay by the 12th water service will be terminated. The QR code flips back with a message stating cannot pay online due to being a deadbeat in arrears. Since the 12th is a holiday here, I must drive 40 minutes tomorrow to the freaking water utility office to pay a $2.50 cent bill to prevent service from being shut off because once that happens you must pay a whole new setup fee to turn it back on. Fuck me...
